Rating: 
Summary: A terrific book
Review: I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, since many adventure travel stories are strong on content but weak on execution. I was pleasantly surpised, then, to find that Kelly Winters can really write. Walking Home was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting.I'm not a hiker myself, just someone enthralled by the idea of undertaking a physical and mental challenge like the AT. I've read a lot of the Trail books and to me this is the best all-around entry. It has all the color and detail that makes you feel like you're there but it also places the quest in a bigger, more meaningful context. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Complaining and Whining
Review: I have read many books on the AT and have actually section-hiked portions of it. With that said, I am always eager to read other's accounts of their own journeys on the trail. This one was a bitter disappointment. Winters has an interesting story to tell but seems to do so only by focusing on the negative. Page after page, I kept waiting for her outlook to improve only to realize half way through the book that it never would. She seemed to be a loner, selfish, unsociable, angry at times, even hostile toward fellow hikers. Then she complains about how she doesn't seem to be forging any bonds with other Thru-Hikers. Well DUH!!! Thankfully I never encountered anyone like her during my time on the Trail! Her constant whining and complaining had me feeling like she missed so much of what the trail has to offer. On top of all this, some of her "story" seemed a bit hyped up for maximum reading excitement (i.e. a little hard to believe). I'm not saying it didn't happen, I obviously don't know, but the part where she claims to be chased by Deliverance-style rednecks up a mountain just seemed a bit too farfetched for this reader. I couldn't help but feel it was embellished (perhaps?) for the sake of urban, crime-wary readers. In all my reading and experiences on the AT, occurrences of this sort are rare at best. If you've read other books on the AT, then read this one for contrast. But the best and most inspirational story I have read so far was "There are Mountains to Climb". Get that one first.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Tale of Trail Travel.
Review: I picked this book up at the library, expecting another mediocre hiking story akin to Bryson's book. To my delight, I found it to be a compelling read on several levels. The hiking minded will enjoy the details of life on the trail, but there is more to this book than a simple description of Point A to Point B. Winters is a helluva writer and presents a compelling portrait of her inner struggles. The best book on the AT I've read.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but she is not quite a thru hiker
Review: I read this book in one afternoon and was thoroughly satisfied with it. Winters writes well and her narrative flows smoothly. However, I bought this book believing that she had completed the thru hike from Springer Mtn. to Maine. Actually she quit the hike 300 miles short of her goal, while she was approaching the dreaded White Mountains of New Hampshire. My greatest criticism of the book is that the author simply didn't explain *why* she quit, and it was a sudden, abrupt decision. Yes, her knees were aching, she was (justifiably) anxious about the vicious weather in the White Mountains, but as a reader, I was horribly let down that her journey just suddenly ends. She writes casually, "I am done" and thus ends the book. A tremendous disappointment. On the positive side, there are great descriptions of shelter life on the trail, the boorish, sexist behavior of the many of the men on the trail and also being chased by some Rednecks in the deep South; "she's little," they squeal, "let's catch her!" This was perhaps the most gripping segment of the book, as she outraces these fat slobs trying to harm her. I am still in the dreaming-planning stages of doing an AT thru hike and must admit this book did little to encourage me. My belief is that Winters needed to go into towns more frequently, sleep in the shelters less frequently and not hike alone, but as she stresses again and again: "hike your own hike." While I admire her tremendous nerve and dedication, any solo woman hiker is courting disaster. That's an ugly reality. Some readers will probably be put off by the stories of Wade, Winters obsessive-compulsive weirdo ex-boyfriend. If she thinks all men are as pathetically warped as he was, think again. The inclusion of her bisexuality and discovery of her partner on the trail might also bug some people. I found it all interesting and would recommend this book. Just don't expect an account of an actual thru hike, since she doesn't quite make it.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and inspiring
Review: Kelly Winters story of her pilgrimage on the AT was amazing and something that drew me into her life and experience. I have met Kelly, and I must say that she is truly the inspirational wonderful person you meet in this book. This book has inspiried me to follow my path so that my life will have the beauty and success that I want it to. It makes you just want to walk and experience the beauty and magic she has. It's a wonderful story of a journey few make, filled with personality, laughs, emotions, trail magic, and beauty. It is a story of the trail community, and of her own heart. Read it not only as a way of becoming closer to hiking and the AT, but as an inspiration to follow your heart.
Rating:
Summary: The real deal
Review: Many AT thru hikers claim that Bill Bryson's A Walk In The Woods inspired them to hike the trail. Personally I don't see how a book written by a man that hiked only small sections of the trail and didn't bond with the trail's culture could do this.
Kelly Winter's is the real deal. She hiked all the way, in one stretch from Georgia to Maine. She talks about the high points as well as the low points without sounding overly mushy or whiny - something all too common in books about thru hikes.
The opening pages about her strange boyfriend had me worried that the book would contain mostly personal stories and not much trail information. Thankfully this sidetrack was neccesarry because it told the reader where she was in her life and why she chose to hike. The rest of the book is a great description of the trail, the people and animals, and the thoughts in her head.
This is the story that should inspire people to hike the AT.
Rating:
Summary: Pilgrimage Story Only
Review: My wife and I share a lot in common, but we rarely enjoy the same kind of book. This book is one of the few. I've dreamed of hiking the AT for years. Most books I've read about the AT are about the technical aspects, which is helpful, but falls somewhat short. This book is a wonderful read by an author who seems willing to be honest about her journey and her process. This book is as much about personal growth and development as it is about hiking. Kelly's advice on the last page is worth the read alone. I read this book while I was in the middle of a very intensive, personally challenging training program. I found that Kelly's journey had a great deal in common with the journey I was experiencing in my training program (and I wish that my training was more outdoors! :-) I would highly recommend this book to any interested reader. Many thanks, Kelly! I hope things are working out with you and your partner and I'll look forward to your next book.
Rating:
Summary: Personal Pilgrimage
Review: The writing style of K. Winters made the book and enjoyable and easy read. The message was clear; the Trail is not an easy hike.
I was taken in to her struggles and almost feel her exhaustian and her pain, however, it was her personal pilgrimage.
There were times when I had hoped the story would take a huge emotional turn, as she related her personal journey more to the trail. Parts had me laughing and parts had me almost crying, but the parts I liked least were the [many] parts of negativity on the trail.
Over all a good read. 4-4.5 starts.
* I would reccomend "A Journey North; One Womans' Story of Hiking the Appalachian Trail" by Adrienne Hall before reading "Walking HOme". It is a mUch better journey.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't stop reading!
Review: This book worked itself into my thoughts and dreams, and I couldn't stop reading it. It has little maps at the beginning of each chapter that show where the author is in her trek, and I found myself checking these and hoping she wasn't close to the end because I didn't want it to stop. Winters is a compelling, funny, and insightful writer, and the book makes you feel as if you're right there on the muddy trail, with the people and events described as vivid as a movie. Her journey is inspiring--she was determined to walk from an unhappy life to a happy one, and she did! This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I've never even hiked before, but since reading it I've started dreaming of heading out on an adventure of my own. An excellent read!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and inspiring
Review: This is a great book. Kelly does a wonderful job in describing her experiences and I felt like I was right there with her. I also enjoyed "meeting" the other thru-hikers. I highly recommend this book.
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